Our TEDxKhartoum 2013 theme is ""Knowledge Into Action". We are asking how can we put together some scenes or images to visualize our theme?

What picture or scene or can represent "Knowldge Into Action"?
We're trying to visualize our theme and put this fragment together.
Our conference date is Saturday, May 11th, 2013.http://www.tedxkhartoum.com/

Apr 28 2013:
You should have picture of Einstein, Nikolas, Mahatma Gandhi and Mandela provide you four different themes. Einstein's knowledge that brought us formula's to understand Reality. Nikolas Tesla scientific knowledge that brought us efficient reliable energy. Gandhi knowledge that brought passive resistance to abuse, Lastly my President Nelson Mandela who promotes equality through education and his knowledge of tolerance over revenge.
You should also have Images of Academic Visionary from Sudan coupled with Innovation or invention from Africa circling these the 4 Images like TED Screens. above all these images. You have image of Africa filled with colour and greenery. Dripping fluid onto the Pool of Floating images of these highlighted Innovators and Inventors.
In bold Highlighting 'Out of Africa it began and with African Creativity it will be Sustainable'
with another image of a Student behind a desk being spoon fed Education. With his Brain as a huge light bulb.

Apr 14 2013:
The first thing that came to mind is 3 images in sequence, an image of a student at his/her desk. There's a book, pencil in hand and a piece of paper and a classical comic thought balloon with the '?' inside it. Next image is a group of people all working on a project together. Lastly and image of this project seen in the world. Could either be an artistic representation, photographs of real life, or a combination of each.

Apr 27 2013:
I think of Knowledge and Action as part of a larger framework that I represent as a sort of wheel. I'll try to describe that wheel in words here, starting with the key concepts on the wheel. I am hoping this may provide some ideas about how to visualize your theme of knowledge into action. Here are the key concepts, of which Knowledge and Action are two parts:

1. Data
2. Information
3. Knowledge
4. Power
5. Action

It starts with data - this is the physical reality of what is happening around us in the real world. We humans interpret that data as information. Knowledge allows us to apply that information in order to achieve an intention. Power is the ability to use knowledge to achieve your intention. Action is the result that your power has in the real world. Your actions change the real world, and hence the data which emerges from the real world changes, and the wheel starts over again.

With wisdom, we are able to choose the best intentions for our actions.

That was very compressed and I hope that makes sense - it's just a thought about how knowledge and action might be related in a larger concept. I could probably write a whole book on this. Just my own way of thinking about things though, your mileage may vary of course.

Apr 14 2013:
A picture or scene that might represent this platform could cleverly and artistically be represented by say, three in a row pictures of three major inventions that have contributed to society. I would have a rectangular backdrop with perhaps a book (the product of language and it's spread of knowledge), next a lightbulb (electricity), followed by a third clip-art type picture of a computer, another clear and certain form of knowledge into action.

Then, surrounding each picture would be maybe 4 or 5 lines leading out to additional relational pictures that examine or describe the works in which each established knowledge has spread. For a book, we might see a baby learning to read; a travel map or informational brochure; a student studying Yoga. Electricity, the action pictures might display a well-lit home, a street lamp, etc. Finally, surrounding the image of a computer would be something showing distance relation improvement by use of technology, etc. Your team would certainly be able to put the supporting ideas into better focus as according to your event.

Another idea is having the supporting (action) pictures surrounding these three main inventions represented in a faded tone, so as not to present too much crowded information, and to have the scene look more presentable. This is the best idea I can think of, without the use of animation, to describe the platform of knowledge put into action.

Apr 14 2013:
Anwar, TEDxKhartoum will place the spotlight on your country. I would enjoy see what the people of Sudan could do to resolve the centuries of war and conflict. A valid presentation of the past .... the solution .... the future ... would go a long way in making the rest of the world aware and perhaps bringing the differing parties to the table.

Demonstrate how your resources, your people, your culture can rise to the occassion and unite for a better Sudan. I think that would be the ultimate expression of "knowledge into action".

Apr 14 2013:
Wish we could post images. I would post a pencil that is all twisted and ultimately straightened out. It would represent iterating until the ultimate solution is not only discovered, but impeccable implementation is achieved.
Good question, Anwar!

Apr 28 2013:
Maybe have each of those involved in organising the event choose an image that best represents k into a for them. Ask those who've signed up to submit their images as well. Perhaps you can create collages and scrolling displays for the event plus put something on the web. Good luck with the event

Apr 26 2013:
How about a picture sequence,
A picture of a person sitting behind a broken bike
A picture that had a person with a thought bubble,
A picture of a person using the internet / computer / books with thought bubble
A picture of person with tools and a thought bubble
A picture of person with thought bubble and something under a sheet
Then a final picture of a person with a thought bubble riding a bike.

Apr 26 2013:
If knowledge is to become action. There must first be a sense of feeling that transpired. This feeling must to some degree resonate with true core principles. It must in a way feed them. Ultimately make them and the group better in some form or another. The result will be greater unity and bonding in the group. Walking as one will increase gratitude as a whole will motivate and help people see clearer and love will abound. I suggest trying to feel it out. Asking yourself the question what moves you to action?. People share visuals of nature family principle like freedom liberty duty love. When someone has showed me love in some form it invites me to act.

Apr 23 2013:
In hosting a hangout on Greening your TEDx on Saturday, what surprised me were the number of Arab organizers who are struggling with basic first steps in making their events sustainable. 5 of the organizers spoke Arabic and were seriously seeking support in ways to inspire their teams first and communities second to include sustainability. One slice of knowledge is already created in the How To TEDx video called Greening Your TEDx. Translating this 3 minute clip into Arabic would help Arabic speaking TEDx organizers. I'd love to see what Greening Your TEDx looks like in Arabic! Thanks for making TEDxKhartoum a conduit for Knowledge into Action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXxvhQnFcHI&feature=youtube_gdata

Apr 14 2013:
Knowledge into Action is a wonderful broad theme that needs perhaps 3 to 5 segments focusiing on a community even neighborhood perspective but with a "friends of earth" broad vision as a key element.

I am a story teller using music and visuals. So I always adminre and appreciate the TED speakers who are masters of verbal communications.

I just did a Google search on the following topic that is an important philosophic theme for my "community vitality boosters" focused work. This internet search topic is this " A Philosophy of American Heritage Humanity, Prosperity, Freedom and Justice". Wow ! several photos and short Public Service Announcments (PSA) came up that I have published from time to time recently. There are photos associated with this philosophy. If you find any photos that looks intersting for you, be glad to share them with you or help you adopt them for your theme wihch of course likley has differnet philosophy than the one I am using. But I would hope there are synergy and value added elements to your TED philosophy and mine that can be illustrated by photo as well as short PSA such as I am using typicallly 5 to 8 minutes long on the UTube Unlisted Channel.

Apr 14 2013:
By definition if there is no action there is no knowledge. You might say this is tautology.

Hmm let's see a professor no, Lawyer no, politician no, civil servant hmm there is more action in the dead, I hate to say it but I think of a business icon as there is no more action than someone who raises the standard of living thorough the free market. Stephan Jobs, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Kiichiro Toyoda, Edward Deming.

Apr 14 2013:
I think knowledge into action is itself an idea worth spreading, a lot of people have amazing things in there minds that they don't execute or even share. And by addressing it as a theme for the event we are spreading it (the idea of making actions from our knowledge).

Agree with your point about all initiatives having already a "knowledge into action" effect, however it's not yet there. I have seen and talked to some TEDx organizers trying to do "Ideas worth doing" side projects and it's more of a local choice or need while the mission of TED remains at the elevel of discovering and spreading great ideas (just ideas). So, if you want to focus more on the action, it's a local effort and the way you will do it (contest, action pitch etc) it's up to your team. Nice idea, good luck :)

Apr 14 2013:
Thanks my friend Tudor for the prompt response.
I remember listening to Ramy Nasser (TEDxWaterloo) during the TEDxSummit talking about the transition of TEDx itself from 1- Inspiration to 2- Networking (happened at the Summit for the TEDx community itself), to 3- Taking Actions right now.
I deeply thought about what "Actions" might be?

May 8 2013:
.One rather fundamental disjuncture between Knowledge and Action is the average Westerners idea of human nature, based on our Judeo-Christian-Newtonian World View, which takes it for granted that Humanity is made up of Sovereign Individuals, entirely separate and distinct from each other, while simaltaneously ,"Groups" are merely arbitrary and not-quite-Real "Collections" of Individuals. There is no Scientific reason to believe this, or take it as an Axiom..It is merely a cultural artifact, essential especially to certain Religious Sects. (And Atheists).
The Individual may quite serviceably be seen as an artifact, in the sense that it is deliberately, and artistically created, by acts of will and group brainwashing. "Free Will" in action, so to speak, but very likely just as much of an illusion as "molecules" are admitted to be. Even the group may be an illusion of the same sort; that would follow if "Consciousness" should turn out to be a fundamental Field analogous to ElectroMagnetism. There is nothing unscientific about this concept; it would dispose of a lot of tiresome questions. It is not incompatible with Buddhism or Hinduism, though of course it would not contain ritualistic artifacts.
Getting to the "Action" part of the thesis, it would facilitate and enable people to treat each other with much more solicitude, benevolence , even love, since it would not make much sense to injure "yourself". And "Selfishness" would turn into treating everyone else by what the Christians think of as the "Golden Rule", rather than swindling people in Any Rand fashion,.

May 6 2013:
I think one of the best ways to represent the theme of "knowledge into action" would be to use images of young people turning what they've learned in school into action. This could be elementary students trying out a science experiment with plastic bottle rockets, high school students competing in FIRST Lego League robotics or mock trial, college students in internships at various companies, etc. The other idea I have for this is more related to volunteering. As an engineering student, I watch friends using what they've learned in class to make clean stoves for Haiti. I also have a friend who will be volunteering all summer as an unpaid medical intern in South Africa. So if you can capture a student at work within a real environment, especially in the spirit of volunteering, I would hope you could better visualize your theme. Good luck!

Apr 14 2013:
Personally, I consider all TED Initiatives as "Knowledge Into Action" starting from putting TEDTalks free to the world, the Open Translation Project, the TEDx initiative, TED-ED, TED books, TED Prize and the way it evolves especially the "Wish".